


Between The Lines

by Nayanna_Rivergron



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: A little something to expand on the moments between Alex and Kelly, Awkward Flirting, Dansen Thirst Squad, F/F, Fluff, Light Angst, Spoilers for Season 4, Spoilers for Season 5, Will add more tags along the way
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-01-23 23:36:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21328540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nayanna_Rivergron/pseuds/Nayanna_Rivergron
Summary: An expansion piece of all of Alex and Kelly's scenes during S4 and Season 5. This is their development from being friends to lovers.
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen
Comments: 27
Kudos: 67





	1. Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou

**Author's Note:**

> I know I said I was not going to write again, but this idea would not leave me alone. I would like to say thank you to the Dansen group chat on Tumblr. I may not have taken the chance.
> 
> I hope you enjoy.

Kelly Olsen knew how to handle herself in a crisis; she’s received phone calls about James being in the hospital. This would make the twelfth time, but to Kelly, this is one time too many. She took a red-eye from Metropolis to National City when she received the call, her brother had been shot, and he was in critical condition. Kelly dropped everything she was doing to rush by her brother’s side. She took an Uber from the airport to National City hospital; when she stepped inside the hospital, Kelly saw a doctor asking for next of kin for James Olsen. That was when her eyes landed on the whom she presumed was Kara’s sister and two other people that she did not know. James had spoken highly of Kara and her sister the many times he had spoken to her on the phone.

“Well, there’s…there’s no family present, but I can act as next of kin,” Alex tried to reason with the doctor. She understood the protocol, but James had no blood family around, but they were his family.

“We need a family member,” The doctor reiterated. He could understand the young woman’s frustration, but thanks to HIPPA, he needs a blood relative.

Alex sighed in exasperation and tried again, “Look, I’m FBI, and I have extensive medical training…” She trailed off.

“Well, I’m sorry without a court order…”

Kelly had had enough and decided it was time to make her presence known. She thought it was sweet how Kara’s sister was trying to step in as a relative.

“I’m next of kin. Sorry, I just got off the red-eye. I’m Kelly Olsen, James’ sister,” She introduced herself to Alex and the doctor, “Did you say FBI? Are you Kara’s sister?” She asked the woman without breaking eye contact.

Alex took one look at Kelly and was speechless; she didn’t expect James’ sister to be as beautiful as she is, “Yeah, um, I’m, Alex,” She finally found the words after a few moments. Alex kicked herself internally for being so awkward.

Kelly gave Alex a kind smile, “It’s nice to finally meet you. I wish it were under better circumstances,” She turned her attention back to the doctor, “I’d like to see James right away,”

The doctor nodded, “Absolutely,” He did not want to keep his patient’s sister from her brother.

Kelly looked at the group standing around, “Okay. And these people are family, too. Make sure they have access,” She told the doctor firmly.

Kelly followed the doctor down the hallway to James’ room, not thinking about the people she had just met. There would be time for pleasantries later, but for now, her main concern was James and his wellbeing. Kelly was keeping vigil by his bedside when Alex had come into the room.

“How is he?” Alex asked, rubbing her hands against the side of her jeans. She did not know how to approach the woman, but she was going to try.

Kelly looked at Alex, “Still unconscious, but that means he is healing, so I’ll take it,” She replied and turned her attention back to James.

There was a pregnant pause, “Thank you for giving us access. James means the world to us,” Alex considered James to be a brother to her. He and Kara may not have worked out as a couple, but he still held a special place in her heart.

Kelly was touched by Alex’s kind words, “Of course, James is more of a “chosen family” kind of guy. Speaking of, where is your sister?” She noticed that Kara was missing.

Before Kelly could receive any answers, the machines started beeping, and James began to seize.

“We need help in here!” Kelly yelled for a doctor a nurse to come into the room.

The doctor came rushing in, “He’s coding. Get them out,” He told one of his nurses.

“Pressure’s dropping,” The nurse told the doctor as they tried to stabilize the patient.

“Bring in the crash cart! He needs to be intubated,” The doctor told another nurse.

Kelly and Alex watched through the window in horror. She could not lose her big brother, not right now, she needed him. Kelly couldn’t lose anyone else in her life; it would be too much for her to handle.

The doctor came out, “Your brother’s bleeding internally. Surgery poses a great risk to James’ spinal cord, but if we don’t operate, then he will continue to bleed out,” He told James’ sister of how dire her brother’s prognosis is.

Kelly was at a loss, “He might die?” She questioned the doctor.

The doctor nodded solemnly, “Correct,” Was the simple answer.

Kelly had no other choice. It was surgery or let her brother die, “Yeah, let’s do the surgery,” She agreed. James was not dying today.

“We’ll get him prepped,” The doctor and the nurses went back to prep James for surgery.

Alex had another idea, “Look, there is another option, a better one. Lena’s working with the government on an experimental drug that could heal James entirely.” She hoped that Kelly would agree to Lena using the drug.

Kelly was skeptical, “Why does this sound too good to be true?”

Alex sighed, “Because it’s not ready yet. But I have spoken to her, and she said that she needed a few more hours to render the drug non-lethal,” She didn’t know when it would be ready, to be honest, but if she could give Kelly a little hope, then that was all that mattered.

Kelly didn’t understand how waiting for this drug would keep her brother from dying, “You're proposing that we hold off on James's surgery, risking his life for hours, only to administer a drug that might still kill him?” She asked credulously.

Alex knew that she had to defend Lena’s reputation to get Kelly on board, “The operation is gonna be invasive, and it's gonna be traumatic to James's entire system. He will be lucky if paralysis is his only after-effect. You haven't seen Lena's work. I have watched her do incredible and impossible things.” She hoped that her explanation would get Kelly to opening her mind to other options.

Kelly was not buying what Alex was selling. James and Lena’s break up was messy, and she had an issue with the Luthor family. There was no way she was going to let that woman anywhere near her brother, “I understand that you trust this woman, but I don't know her. All I know is that she and James had a messy break-up and that her family has done some terrible things, many of them to my brother,” She knows Alex means well, but she can’t take that chance.

Alex knew there was no winning in this situation, “Those things have nothing to do with Lena,” She defended the other woman. They were friends, and Alex knew what Lena was capable of doing.

Kelly shook her head, “That doesn't mean I'm willing to put my brother's life in her hands. I just want what’s best for James,” That is all that mattered was James and his getting better.

Alex looked Kelly in the eyes, “So do I. I need to call Kara,” She told Kelly.

Kelly watched from the sidelines as Alex called her sister, she wanted to believe in what Alex was telling her, but the Luthor family had put her brother through hell. And there was no way she would let anyone from the Luthor family near James. They wheeled an unconscious James into the hallway and prepared to move him to the OR. The sooner they were able to do the surgery; the better James would be.

“Where’s Kara?” Kelly asked as Alex approached her.

Alex sighed, “She is handling something at CatCo. She should be here soon. Come on, let’s go see what’s going to happen with the surgery,” She offered a little peace offering. Tensions were running high, and they were both in an emotional state. The last thing Alex wanted to do was get off on the wrong foot with Kelly.

Kelly sat down in one of the hospital chairs; they were uncomfortable as hell, but it was better than sitting on hard concrete or dirt. She was not a praying woman, but she prayed to whatever deity would listen to her that James would be okay. Out the corner of her eye, she could see Alex approaching her.

Alex hoped that the Jello would smooth things over with Kelly, “It’s a peace offering,” She held the container to Kelly, “I'm sorry about before. I was out of line,” She apologized.

Kelly sighed, “You care about James. There is nothing to apologize for,” She replied.

“Well…,” Alex moved the container back playfully.

Kelly smiled, “But I will take it,” She took the offered Jello.

Alex chuckled, “Oh.”

“Yes, thanks. Oh, Jello is the perfect hospital food. It’s a metaphor for trauma,” She takes the lid off, “If you shake it, it wobbles, but it still holds its form. If you dig in too deep, it's never the same,” She spouted off facts something that she did when she was anxious or nervous.

Alex sat down next to Kelly, facing her, “You don't seem to be wobbling very much, given the circumstances. Military?” She asked about Kelly’s background. Alex was amazed at how well she was handling everything.

Kelly nodded, “Psychologist, yeah.”

Alex hummed, “Mmm,”

“I’ve pretty much seen it all. Plus, this is the twelfth time that I have visited James in the hospital,” Kelly mentioned without being prompted.

“Wow,” Alex was amazed at how many times James had been hospitalized.

Kelly played with the dessert, “You know my brother, he's always running off and diving into something dangerous. It was the way he coped when things got hard at home.” She didn’t know what it was about Alex that made her want to spill her guts.

Alex knew about that all too well, “If you just keep running, then you don't have to stop and feel how much you're hurting.” She finished Kelly’s thoughts.  
The sound of footsteps and Kara’s voice brought Alex and Kelly back to the moment.

“That sounds familiar,” Kara approached her sister and Kelly with J’onn not too far behind.

Kelly got up and hugged Kara, “Kara, hi. Oh, it’s been forever,” She greeted James’ friend.

Kara smiled and returned the hug, “Sorry it took me so long to get here,” She apologized for not being here when everything was going down.

Kelly smiled, “You were where you needed to be,” She answered in return.

“I am now,” Kara told Kelly truthfully. She felt guilty for not being here when she was needed, but she needed to help J’onn.

An awkward silence fell over the group, and Kelly could feel the change in the atmosphere, “I am going to go and find more snacks,” She knew that the sisters needed to talk.

J’onn read the situation, “Yeah, I’ll come with you,” He wanted to give Alex and Kara a chance to talk in private.

Kelly started walking, “Okay, cool,” She replied.

“J’onn, by the way,” J’onn introduced himself.

Kelly had never heard that name before, “Oh, cool name. French?” She asked.

J’onn liked Kelly already, “Close,” He answered.

Kelly walked with J’onn to the area that housed the vending machines, “You know James?”

“I do. I’ve known James for four years now. He’s family. How are you holding up?” J’onn asked Kelly.

“I am doing the best that I can. I feel so helpless. He’s my big brother, and he may die,” Kelly answered honestly. She was not surprised at how many people cared for James. He had told her a lot about his family in National City.

The electricity was flickering on and off in the hospital, and Kelly barely registered J’onn, saying he would be right back when she took off to the room where James was having his surgery. Alex was standing outside of the window. They watched on as the doctor continued operating on James, and the electricity went out in the hospital. Kelly was heading into panic mode. She heard the doctors saying that her brother could bleed out.

“I picked the safe option. This isn’t supposed to happen when you pick the safe option,” Kelly stated in exasperation.

Alex reached her hand out to try and calm Kelly down the situation was tense and stressful as fuck, “Kelly, look, no one could’ve predicted that this was gonna happen. You made the best decision that you could for your brother, and Lena’s drug wasn’t ready then. But it is now,” She tried to keep Kelly from panicking.

Kelly was about to offer a rebuttal.

Alex kept going, “Now look, I know you have reasons not to trust Lena, but I am not asking you to trust her. I am asking you to trust me,” She hoped that her words were having some effect on Kelly.

Kelly didn’t have any other options, “Let’s do it,” She agreed, trusting Alex.

Alex was about to lead Kelly away, “Okay,”

Eve walked past them and stopped, “Hi. Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, nasty habit, but I heard what you just said. I brought the drug just in case,” She held up the bag containing the drug that could cure James.

Alex was relieved, “We have to find Lena, now.”

Kelly and Alex watched in suspense as Lena entered the hospital room and commanded the doctors to leave. Kelly watched on as Lena injected the needle into her brother’s skin, and she watched as all of his scars had begun to heal. That meant the drug was working, and her brother was going to be okay. Everything went by in a blur, and now she was standing with all of James’ friends around his bed.

James groans as he comes to. He did not expect to see his sister standing there, “Hi. What are you doing here?” He asked.

Kelly smiled, “Awww, you never invite to visit. How else was I gonna meet your friends? They’re pretty great, by the way. One of them even saved your life,” She sent a grateful smile to Lena.

“Yeah, about that, thank you,” James thanked Lena for saving him.

There were still lights crackling in the distance, “I’m just glad you’re okay. Besides, Supergirl was the one that found you. You should be thanking her,” The electricity kept crackling.

James looked subtly at Kara, “Yeah,” It was an acknowledgment.

Kelly’s phone started to ring, “Oh. I know you just came back from the dead, but you’re going to wish you didn’t because I called mom,” She told him sheepishly and handed him the phone.

Kara looked at everyone, “I think that’s our cue,” It was time for them to clear out.

“No, she…Don’t leave me alone. Guys,” James tried to get his friends to stay.

“Good luck, honey,” Nia said as she exited the room.

Kelly sighed in relief now that James was okay, and everything would be calm, at least for now. She sat down in a chair outside of James’ room. She was not alone, though, Alex came and sat down beside her.

“How are you feeling?” Alex asked, checking in on Kelly.

Kelly sighed, “Tired, relieved, and ready for this day to be over. I’m concerned about Lena’s drug and if there will be any side effects,” She admitted.

Alex didn’t even know if there were side effects to the drug, “I’m sure the side effects are minimal if there are any. Do you need anything?” She asked.

Kelly shook her head, “Not right now, but thank you for asking. Thank you for being here with me today. I don’t want to sound cliché, but I don’t think I could make it through this without you. Do you do this for all of your sister's friends?” She asked teasingly.

Alex shrugged, “Only the ones that I like,” She shot back, “I know you are going to be in National City for a while, and I don’t want to be too forward, but is it alright if we exchange numbers? I mean, if you need someone to talk to,” She hoped that she wasn’t too forward.

Kelly was charmed, “I think that is doable. I can never have too many friends.” She smiled.

Alex smiled back feeling a little awkward, “That’s true,”

Kelly gave Alex her phone number, and she got Alex’s in return. The last twenty-four hours have been a literal hell, but at least she had a friend to help her through it all.

“Why don’t we go get some breakfast? I know a diner around the corner that has the best food. It’s way better than what you get here,” Alex suggested.

“I would like that. I am starving. Do you think anyone else would want to come?” Kelly asked about the rest of James’ friends.

Alex shrugged, “They probably have their own things to deal with. Do you not want to be around me?” She asked.

“It’s not that, Alex. Everyone needs breakfast, it’s the most important meal of the day,” Kelly shot back.

“I will let you have that due to the stress you were under,” Alex thought that Kelly’s humor was adorable.

“I guess I will use that as my excuse. So, breakfast,” Kelly was starving.

Kelly and Alex left the hospital after telling James where they were going. It had been a nerve-wracking twenty-four hours, but Kelly was thankful that she didn’t have to go through it alone.


	2. All About Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of James getting shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies :)
> 
> Thank you to everyone for giving this story a chance. I have not watched Supergirl since forever, and I had to go through YouTube scenes to kind of piece everything together. Updates will be a little slow, since I am working twelve-hour days, and in my downtime, I want to relax. Plus, watching all of the Alex and Kelly scenes and getting the dialogue right takes some time.
> 
> Thank you for bearing with me while I put this little ditty together.
> 
> This episode did not have any Kelly or Alex interaction at all, but you know what? This is fic and I can do whatever the fuck I want. Besides, this sets up the next chapter, and how Alex knew that Kelly was not leaving National City. It may have happened off-screen, but in this fic, it happened.
> 
> There is a lot of James in this chapter, but it is centric to Kelly's storyline.

Kelly woke up from an exhaustive sleep, she was plagued by nightmares, and dreams, dreams she hadn’t had since she had left Iraq. Seeing James going through trauma triggered her own trauma, but she had to push it aside to help James, he needed her the most. Kelly rubbed her eyes and reached for her phone to see if she had any messages or missed calls. There were a few messages from her mom, but there was one message from Alex. She unlocked her phone and read the message.

_Alex: I hope you had a peaceful sleep, and everything goes okay with James today._

Kelly smiled at how sweet Alex was towards her, breakfast had been a calming experience, and there was something about Alex that had put her at ease. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but sometimes, in life, the story has to unfold before anyone can decide the narrative. She sent a text back.

_Kelly: Thank you for checking in. I hope things go well with James as well. You have a good day._

She pressed send and put the phone down on the nightstand, and she prepared to go about her day. Her first stop was to see James at the hospital and see how he is doing. James was knocking at death’s door, and she was concerned that there were side effects of Lena’s drug. Kelly was thankful for Lena’s thinking, but a big part of her still did not trust her, and probably never will.

After taking a quick shower and grabbing a bite to eat, Kelly made her way towards the hospital to see her brother wearing a suit and preparing to leave, which was strange since he nearly died the day before.

“They dress their patients in business attired in this hospital?” Kelly asked her brother as she approached him with a smile.

James turned around and put his hands in his pockets, “That’s funny. No, actually, I got a clean bill of health from the docs about an hour ago, so…,” He trailed off.

Kelly was a little put off by how flippant he was about the situation, “Why didn’t you call me?” She questioned why her brother did not call her. If it weren’t for him, then she wouldn’t have come to National City.

“Cause you’d have wanted to take me home,” James explained.

Kelly chuckled a little because she knew it was true. She would have taken James home because he needed to rest.

“And the world has turned upside down since I’ve been here, so I need to bet back to work. So...” James trailed off as his vision, and his hearing began to go out of whack.

Kelly looked in the direction that her brother was looking at with concern, “James, are you okay?” She asked worriedly. Kelly dealt with trauma and PTSD, so she knew without a shadow of a doubt that her brother had PTSD.

James came too, “Yeah, yeah…, I’m fine.” He lied, he felt anything but fine.

“You were shot. You almost died on the operating table. Look, this isn’t a broken leg. You need to pay attention to what’s going on,” Kelly tried again, her brother was hard-headed and stubborn. Talking to him was like talking to a brick wall, and sometimes she wants to bang her head against it.

James smiled, “Kelly, I said I’m fine,” He tried again.

Kelly was not buying James' brand of bullshit, “I’m a psychologist that specializes in trauma. This is my job,” She explained to him.

“And my job is to cover the Alien Amnesty repeal. There are thousands of Americans, the governments trying to take away their rights, and nobody’s paying attention because Lex is out there. I just need to make sure that people know what’s going on. So I need to get to work, I’ll call you later,” James turned and walked away.

Kelly watched in exasperation as her brother walked away, it was clear that her brother was not okay, and he needed help, but she was not one to push and will let him come to her. Kelly left the hospital unsure of where to go since she was new to this city and did not know where anything was. So, she went back to her hotel after grabbing some lunch. Her phone started ringing, and Alex’s name came across the screen.

“Hey, Alex, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you today,” Kelly was genuinely surprised to receive a call from Alex.

Alex walked back and forth on the DEO balcony. She, Lena, and Kara had gone on a recon mission to find out about Eve and her family, “I had a little bit of free time. So, I decided to give you a call and find out how you are doing and how it went with James,” There was nothing wrong with a friend checking in with a friend, especially if that friend had to deal with family trauma.

Kelly sighed, “It didn’t go as good as I thought it would. James was dressed and ready to go out the door when I got there. He didn’t even bother to call me to let me know he was released. He said I would have taken him home, which was true, but he said he needed to work. Something fell in the hallway, and he was startled,” She did not mean to go on a mile-wide rant, but she had no one else to talk to at the moment, “God, I’m sorry. How are you? How’s work?”

“It’s okay, Kelly. You have gone through a lot, too, and it’s good to have someone to vent to. You only know people in National City, and that is James and my sister. They are too close to you and each other, so it’s nice to have an objective and neutral person to talk to. Besides, I heard somewhere that psychologists need therapy too,” Alex had heard that a few times before and she figured it would be the case for Kelly.

Kelly laughed amusedly, “That is true. One of my professors told us never to trust a psychologist who does not see a therapist themselves. Shouldn’t you be working? Did crime take a holiday?” She asked.

“No, it didn’t take a holiday. Crime never takes a holiday in National City; if it does, then that means something is up. Like I said before, I had some free time, and I decided to check in with you. And on that note, I am needed again. I’ll talk to you later, Kelly,” Alex had to go and fight crime as Kelly would say.

“Bye, Alex,” Kelly hung up the phone and fell back on the bed. Alex had been one of the few bright spots of being in National City. It sucked that she would have to leave soon, and leave James behind, but he didn’t need her.

Kelly was not one to wait around for her brother to call, so she made her way to CatCo to talk to her brother. The building was tall and intimidating, but she could handle it. Kelly walked into the building and went to the floor where the magazine was located and found his office. She saw him sitting at his desk in deep thought.

“Wow, I could fit ten of my apartments into this office,” She entered the office with a piece of paper in her hands.

James sat back in his chair and sighed, “Yeah, it’s not that bad, huh? What you got there?” He pointed to the folder that his sister was holding.

Kelly looked at the folder, “Referrals for post-trauma psychologists. All in National City,” She handed the folder over to her brother.

James hated this and got out of his chair, “Come on. Come look. Look, Kelly, I told you I don’t need help. I don’t need help,” He denied and kept walking as Kelly approached him. That was one thing about his sister, and she never gave up.

Kelly stopped James in his tracks, “James, Lex tried to kill you eight times,” She stressed the point about Lex. He brought nothing but harm to her big brother.

“If you would just listen to me for once in your life, maybe you would realize that this has nothing to do with Lex,” James hoped that he was getting through to his sister. He made it through the worst situations without her, and he could make it through this.

“James, you have a wall full of televisions, they’re all off. Because you know that if you turn them on, you’ll see Lex’s face staring back at you.” Kelly was a trained on how to make observations, so she noticed things like this.

“Oh, is that right?” James asked, incredulously.

“You are avoiding a trigger,” She pointed out.

James was not backing down, “Lex came after me in the first place to get to Superman who’s off-planet. Manchester Black shot me, who’s dead now, so I am no longer in danger, thank you,” He turned his back on Kelly and looked at the blank screen.

Kelly tried again, “But you are irritable, jumpy, sweaty, all psychological responses to triggers. And those are just the symptoms that I can see. God forbid, you have a flashback. ‘Cause I know you’d never tell me,” She called her brother out on his bullshit.

“Wow. You know, you’re not the only one who can analyze things, Kelly. The only times that you’ve come to visit me were when I was in the hospital. Because I was weak, and you could tell me what to do, right?” James had enough of Kelly sticking her nose into his life. They’ve only seen each other a handful of times.

Kelly was a little hurt by this, “James, I’m just trying to help,” She was not backing down.

“Then, help me by listen…” He raised his voice, “I’m sorry. I should, I…I’m just, I’m busy, I’m overwhelmed, and I’m just…This, this is, ugh…This probably a really good time for you to go home.” He told his sister. He did not need Kelly around him at this moment. James understood his sister was trying to help, but he needed to deal with this on his own. The last thing he wanted was for Lex to come after he as well.

Kelly stood there speechless at the way her brother had just dismissed her. She had nothing else to say, and she took the folder with the referrals and left James’ office. Kelly was at a loss and decided it was time to take her brother’s advice and leave. She left CatCo’s building and ran into someone, “I’m sorry,” She apologized.

“It’s quite alright. You looked like you were deep in thought,” Alex leaned down and picked up Kelly’s folder.

“I am. I was trying to talk to James, and he is not listening to me. I gave him referrals to trauma doctors in National City, and he shot me down and told me to go back home,” Kelly explained what happened with James. She still couldn’t believe what he said to her; all she was doing was trying to help, and not tell him what to do.

Alex felt sympathy for Kelly; she knew what it was like to deal with someone who can be stubborn. Hell, she was a little like James in that regard, so she understood completely, “I was coming to talk to Kara, but it could wait. It’s lunch time, why don’t we grab something to eat, to at least take your mind off of everything,” She offered. It was clear that Kelly needed a friend right now.

Kelly smiled at Alex’s offer, “I would like that. So tell me about your day?” She asked as she followed Alex into Noonan’s.

“It was another day in the office. The person over me is starting to get on my nerves. No matter what I do or say, she fights me on every end. We bumped heads about Supergirl, and it didn’t go over so well,” Alex explained.

They ordered some lunch and found a table near one of the many windows and sat down. Kelly was thankful for the reprieve.

“Why would anyone not like Supergirl? She keeps the city safe, and she helps people. Supergirl is nothing like Superman; if anything, she’s better,” Kelly replied.

Alex laughed nervously, “I don’t know either. I guess it’s because of her being an alien, but she has done more good than harm. How do you feel about the whole James situation?” She asked, bringing the conversation back to Kelly.

Kelly sighed, “I don’t like it, but what can I do? He made his point clear that he wants me to leave National City, so that is what I am going to do in the morning. James does not want me here, and I don’t want to assert myself into his life where I am clearly not wanted,” She drank her coffee.

Alex felt a wave of disappointment at Kelly’s admission. She at least hoped that the younger Olsen would stick around a little longer, “I know I can’t change your mind, but maybe you should give James a chance to come around. He’s been through a lot emotionally, and he is good at pushing people away. Don’t run away, just because he tells you too, after all, people build up walls for a reason when it comes to someone they love,” Her advice may be a little self-serving, but she was not ready for Kelly to leave yet. There was something about the other woman that made her comfortable.

Kelly appreciated Alex’s honesty, “We’ll see, but I will not make any promises,” She smiled before eating her sandwich.

Alex returned Kelly’s smile, “No promises. So, tell me a little about yourself. How did you get into psychology?” She asked, wanting to know more about the elusive Kelly Olsen.

“Hmm, where should I begin. I’ve always been an empathetic person, willing to help people, and I listen when people need me to. So, one day, a friend of mine told me that I should be a psychologist. At first, I was a little unsure about it, and school was expensive. So, after I graduated, I joined the military. With the help of the GI Bill, I was able to attend school and get my bachelor’s in psychology,” Kelly explained how she got into the world of psychology.

“And that’s when you studied to become a psychologist for the military. I know they need a lot of help with what they see over there. How do you handle all of that without breaking down?” Alex asked. She knew a lot about being strong, but the stuff Kelly must have seen in combat would have been enough to send even the strongest people to a breakdown.

Kelly shrugged, “I get help for myself, or sometimes, I compartmentalize, so I don’t have to deal with it, but that only works half the time,” She explained.

Alex’s phone rang, “I got to take this, I’m sorry,” She apologized before getting up from the table, “I’ll be right in,” She couldn’t catch a break. Alex was pretty sure that Kelly would think she was awkward by leaving so suddenly.

“You have to go,” It was more of a statement than a question.

Alex nodded, feeling apologetic for leaving Kelly alone during lunch, “I do. Duty calls. Is it alright if I call you later? That’s if you’re not on the first flight to Metropolis?” She asked.

“I would like that. Thank you for lunch, Alex. Get going,” Kelly shooed Alex off and finished eating her lunch.

Kelly went back to her hotel room with a sad heart and began getting her belongings together. She hoped by being here that James would be open to talking to her and reconnecting, but that thought was thrown out the window. They used to be so close when they were younger, but now they were like complete strangers in each other’s orbits. It sucked, but that is how it worked sometimes, and it was something that she would have to deal with.

Kelly was in the middle of packing her bags when she heard a soft knock at the door. She opened it, so see James standing there. Kelly opened the door further with a look of surprise on her face; she was not expecting to see her brother on the other side. They looked at each other for a few moments.

James leaned against the doorframe and started to speak, “I was wrong,” His voice started to break.

Kelly just stood there and waited for her brother to say something else. She was surprised to hear James say that he was wrong. Her brother rarely admitted when he was wrong, even when they were kids.

“I need your help. Think you could stick around?” James asked, tearfully. After learning that Eve was the one who tried to kill him and that Lex was behind it. He needed help, and the first place to start was with his sister.

Kelly nodded, “I’m not going anywhere,” She walked the few feet between her and her brother and hugged him, and sighed in relief, “Do you want to grab something to eat?” She asked as she let go of her brother.

James was tired after a long day, “No, I am going to go home and sleep. I had a long day today. A rain check, though?”

Kelly nodded, “I can live with that. Get home safe, and let me know when you get there,” She told her brother.

“I will,” James turned and walked away.

Kelly closed the door behind him and realized that she would need to pay for the rest of her stay. And if she were to stick around in National City, then she would have to find a place of her own and relocate to be closer to her brother, his friends, and Alex.

She unpacked all of her bags and put everything back where it belonged. Kelly was hopeful that her brother would let her help him. It was close to dinner time, and she needed to find something to eat since the last thing she ate was lunch with Alex. It was if it was on cue that her phone had rung and low and behold it was Alex.

“Hey, Alex,” Kelly answered the phone with a small smile in her voice.

“Kelly, hey. I take it you’re not on a plane back to Metropolis?” Alex asked, hoping that she didn’t sound too hopeful. They’ve only known each other for twenty-four hours, and it was too short of a time to act like a schoolgirl.

Kelly put her suitcases back in the closet, “Yeah, I’m staying in National City for a little while longer. James came by and asked me to stay, so who am I to deny such a request,” She answered the question honestly.

“Looks like National City is going to be home for another Olsen. And this time, the one sticking around is not affiliated with Superman,” Alex joked.

“Not Superman directly, but his best friend, James. Since I will be around a little longer, do you think I could get a tour? I’m new to the city, and I do not know where anything is. I mean, if you’re not busy or anything,” Kelly didn’t want to come off as too presumptuous.

Alex reclined on her couch, “I think I can find time to pencil you in, and Kara could even be a good tour guide as well. She knows all the good places in National City. We can make a day of it; that way, it will give us a chance to know each other a little better. It’s obvious you know a great deal about Kara, and she knows a lot about you. So now it’s time to get to Kelly Olsen, outside of her brother,” They had to start somewhere, and there was no better time than the present.

“And I get to know about Alex Danvers outside of her sister. Do you know of any good bars around here? I could use a drink or two,” Kelly asked.

Alex knew of the alien dive bar, “I do.”

“Would you care to tell me where? Better yet, would you like to join me?” Kelly asked, hoping that Alex would accept the invite.

“I don’t see why not. Two friends having a drink wouldn’t hurt anything. The bar is right around the corner from where you are staying. If you would like, I could meet you at yours, and we can go together,” Alex didn’t know what the hell was going on with her, but she was already a little smitten with Kelly.

Kelly was calm about the suggestion, but inside she was freaking out a little bit, “Yeah, that sounds good. Let me freshen up and text me when you get here.”

“Not a problem. See you soon,” Alex told Kelly before hanging up the phone.

Kelly went to the bathroom to freshen up for her drinks with Alex. Today started as a crappy day, but the night had turned out to be a little better. After all, having drinks with Alex is just what the doctor ordered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Until next time my lovelies- xoxo- Nayanna Rivergron ;-)


	3. Crime And Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Kelly meet each other at the diner, and Kelly offers some advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so this expands on 4x18.
> 
> Dialogue may be a little off, but I tried.
> 
> Thank you for reading!

Kelly woke up and turned on the news, and the president was on air talking about Supergirl and how she was a threat to National City. She hadn’t kept up with the news in National City since James had been shot, but to hear about Supergirl becoming Public Enemy Number One, was unheard of. How the hell could Supergirl become an enemy of the state? Kelly was brought out of her musings as her phone chimed; it was a message from James telling her that he would be ready in about fifteen minutes. Kelly needed to put some hustle in her step if she was going to get James to his appointment with Dr. Park on time. She was a renowned trauma psychologist in National City, and she had agreed to work with James on his PTSD. It took her no time to shower, get dressed, and head over to James’ apartment, when you are in the military, time was not to be wasted.

Kelly pulled in front of the Medical Professional Center, where Dr. Park’s office was located. She turned the car off.

“Nervous?” Kelly asked her brother.

James sighed, “Not at all. I’ve canceled three times in my head already today, so there is that” He answered honestly. James had thought about backing out a lot, but he knew Kelly would be pissed at him.

Kelly looked at her brother, “Dr. Park is the best trauma therapist in National City. She practically wrote the book on PTSD. Still, it’s hard, I know. I have seen soldiers paralyzed over what you’re about to do. I am so proud of you. And dad would be, too,” She told her brother.

James nodded as a lone tear fell down his cheek. The hardest part was going through with it, “Thank you,” James got out of the car.

Kelly was about to pull off when the phone rang, “Alex, hi.”

“Do you think you could meet me at the diner? There is something I need your advice on,” Alex had told Kelly. She had debated on calling the other woman, but she knew that Kelly would have been the best choice since she was a therapist, and she had experience dealing with someone in charge.

“Of course. I’ll see you then,” Kelly hung up the phone and made her way to the diner where they’ve had breakfast a few times.

Kelly entered the diner, which was deserted and kind of dark as if no one was inside. She entered the restaurant and saw Alex sitting down at a table in the back. Kelly sat down at the table across from Alex. She looked a little uncertain, but Kelly hoped that she could help Alex in any way that she could. It also didn’t hurt that the red shirt, Alex had on was weirdly sexy on her. There were also two cups of steaming coffee on the table.

“Thank you for meeting me,” Alex thanked Kelly for showing up. It was a way to get her advice and a way to see the woman again.

“Any time. So, what’s up?” Kelly asked, wondering what Alex had to talk to her about.

Alex crossed her arms against the table, “I wanted to get your advice on something, being a therapist,” She gestured with her hand, “I’m sorry, I hope it’s not weird that I asked,” She reached across the table. The gesture was well-meaning, but she didn’t want Kelly to get the wrong idea. They were friends, and reaching out to her may be a little weird if not a little overzealous.

Kelly smiled happily, “I can make a one-time exception for a friend,” She replied, it didn’t go unnoticed that Alex had reached out towards her. It was sweet, but she wasn’t sure if Alex wanted her to reach back out or what. So, Kelly went with the safe option and kept her hands to herself.

Alex smiled and laughed nervously, “Okay. My commanding officer and I both agree that we think that something suspicious is going on at the Department of Alien Affairs,” She started unsure of how much she should tell Kelly.

Kelly raised her eyebrows, “You work for the DEO?” She asked, surprised that Alex did not work for the FBI. They would have to discuss that a little later.

Alex looked sheepish, “Yeah, I work for the DEO, but we can discuss that another time. Anyway, I am trying to tell her that we can’t just follow their every order, but she insists on the chain of command. And I don’t know how to reach her,” She finished her dilemma.

Kelly brought herself back to the present, “Well, can I take a stab?” She asked, unsure if Alex wanted to hear her advice or not.

“Please.”

“You need to stop getting angry and get smart,” Kelly told Alex bluntly. She was never one to sugarcoat anything.

Alex was surprised at Kelly’s forcefulness but didn’t dare to say anything. It was kind of hot in a way, but also made her want to listen to what she had to say.

Kelly wrapped both her hands around her coffee mug, “Okay, now, I had a real jerk of a CO. We were stationed at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Bashur. And one day, a man pulled up in this decrepit pickup, his pregnant wife in the back, and he’s just trying to get to the only midwife in the region. Just a half a mile across town.”

Alex listened to the story, intrigued by Kelly’s story and what she had seen and been through. She had to admit that she could listen to Kelly talk, and she would never get bored. Her voice was so damn sexy.

“And the CO doesn’t care. Rules are rules, and he doesn’t have the right papers,” Kelly paused for a moment and saw that Alex was following along with her story.

“So, what did you do?” Alex asked.

“I yelled and screamed about doing the right thing and got nowhere. But my sergeant convinced the CO that it would be safer for his unit not to risk the life of the man’s wife and child. He knew what the CO cared most about, his men.”

Alex listened, feeling mildly intrigued by what Kelly was saying, “Hmm.” She replied in contemplation.

Kelly sighed, “You can’t change people. But you can appeal to who they are. Even the toughest Cos care about something.” She finished giving her advice, but the look on Alex’s face made her feel as if she had something out of the way.

Alex took in everything Kelly was telling her, and she was trying to formulate a plan on how to get Colonel Hailey to listen and work with her. Why didn’t she meet Kelly sooner?

Kelly felt a little unsure, “Let me guess, right now you’re wishing that you never called me,” She stated plainly.

“It’s quite the opposite. I’m really glad you didn’t leave,” Alex admitted. She was glad that Kelly had decided to stay. Maybe, just maybe, there was a sliver of hope in there.

Kelly smiled joyfully, “You know? I am glad that I didn’t leave either. Did anything I say help you?”

Alex nodded, “More than you know, thank you,” She replied.

Kelly cleared her throat, “Now tell me how you are working for the DEO and not the FBI?” She asked, wondering why Alex decided to keep that tidbit away.

“Well, I was recruited to the DEO, thanks to my work as a bioengineer. My parents were bioengineers as well, so it ran in the family. They were impressed with my work, so they recruited me to be a part of their operation. I joined because it gave me a sense of purpose, and I was able to help people in my own way,” Alex replied. She didn’t want to get into complete details about everything, even though it was pretty apparent that Kelly knew the basics about Kara, “You’re not mad at me for lying?”

“I’m not mad at you for lying, Alex. Your organization does not exist, and well, you have to keep your identity a secret. FBI is a great way to go, but now I know that there is something extra special about you,” She hoped that her last remark did not come off as overly flirtatious.

Alex blushed, “As there is something special about you, Kelly,” She smiled.

They enjoyed their coffee until Alex was called away for duty, Kelly watched as Alex left. She tried to look everywhere else that wasn't on Alex’s ass as she watched her leave the diner. Kelly shook her head and finished her coffee; it was not time to be thinking about how beautiful Alex was, and how hot she looked in those jeans.

Kelly spent the rest of her time looking for an apartment, and there was only so much time she could spend living in a hotel room. She wanted a place where she could put all of her belongings and relax after a long day. Next, she would have to coordinate a way to bring all of her belongings from Metropolis to National City. It was going to be one hell of a journey, but it would be so worth it. Kelly would be closer to her brother, his friends, and Alex. The woman who made her feel things that no one else had since Jamie, her fiancée. After Jaimie died, Kelly wasn’t sure she would be able to open up again and love, but something told her if she did, she wouldn’t be disappointed.

Kelly had finished up her apartment search when Alex had called her again, “Alex, hi. Is everything alright?” She asked as she approached her car.

“Yeah, everything is fine. I want to say thank you again for your advice today. I took it, and Hailey went with it. There was some pushback, but I think I got through to her. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be able to do it all without you. I know it may be too soon, but how would you like to come over and hang out with Kara and me? We will have food and watch old movies. It could be fun,” Alex asked at Kara’s behest, well at hers as well, but if it wasn’t for Kara, then she may not have had the courage to ask. Alex figured that it would be better to have her sister along instead of making it seem as if she was trying to get close to Kelly. The woman’s brother was shot and going through some issues, and she didn’t want to monopolize all of Kelly’s time by playing getting to know you.

“I would love to hang out with you and Kara. It’s been so long since I’ve talked to Kara. It would give us time to catch up with each other. And it also gives me a chance to hang out with you again. Do I need to bring anything?” Kelly asked as she got inside of the car and closed the door. She couldn’t help but feel thankful for Alex’s invite. There was only so much running up and down behind James she could do before it became too exhausting.

“You can bring extra wine. Kara and I will take care of the food. Is Chinese alright with you?” Alex asked as she leaned against the wall inside of the DEO. It felt good, to be honest with her about her job.

“Chinese is fine by me. Whatever you two are having is fine, but make sure there are extra potstickers. Those happen to be my favorite,” Kelly had confessed to Alex.

Alex laughed melodically, “You will have to fight Kara for those. She loves potstickers and trying to get one from her is like fighting off a rabid dog, but I am sure she will make an exception for you,” She shot back playfully.

Alex’s laugh was like music to Kelly’s ears, “I think she would, but then again, I wouldn’t underestimate Kara. I’ll let you get back to work. Text me Kara’s address and what time to come over, and I will be there with a couple of bottles of wine,” She told Alex. Kelly remembered seeing a wine store a few blocks away.

“I’ll see you later on tonight. I’ll talk to you later, Kelly,” Alex hung up the phone and had a little spring in her step. She was going to see Kelly again tonight; it’s been a while since she’s felt this way. Yes, she had dated here and there, but none of them gave her a sliver of joy as Kelly had given her.

Time had gone by, and the sun had given away tonight, and National City’s skyline lit up the night. Kelly thought it was beautiful, much better than the one in Metropolis, her home for over five years. James was there, and then he left, and then she came to National City behind him. It’s was as if he leads, and she followed. She forgot to charge her phone, but when she did, Kelly had an urgent message from James to meet him at CatCo. Kelly floored it without hesitation, her brother needed her, and she was going to be there for him.

Kelly entered James’ office to see him sitting on the chair, looking panicked, “James, I got your message. It sounded urgent. What’s up?” She asked, as her brother kept balling up his fists.

James looked at his sister, “It happened again, but this time I could see 500 feet. Like it was in front of me. And I could hear things that nobody should be able to hear,” He told her.

Kelly did not know what was going on if it was because of James’ trauma, or it was because of the side effects of Lena Luthor’s drug. Either way, it does not bode well for her brother, “It could be a hallucination. Those are known symptoms,” She suggested.

“I would love to believe that. I would, but this was too real,” James held up the lamp that he crushed and showed it to his sister.

Kelly looked at the lamp in disbelief. There was no way her brother could have superpowers.

“We have to talk to Lena. This is more than PTSD.” James knew something was not right, and it had to do with the drug that Lena injected him with.

Kelly listened in to what her brother was saying, and she could not help but be pissed at what James was telling her. If it was more than PTSD and the drug had something to do with it, then another Luthor caused harm to her brother. Alex told her to believe her and not Lena, but her gut was telling her something else. She would have to talk to Alex about this and find out what is going on, but for now, she needed to help her brother and then make it over to Kara’s for Chinese food and movies.

Kelly stopped by the store and picked up two bottles of red wine and a bottle of white. She wasn’t sure which one the sisters preferred, so she decided to get both. Kelly paid for the wine and went over to Kara’s. Before she could knock on the door, it flew opened, and Kara was standing there.

“Hey, Kelly. Come on in, we were waiting for you,” Kara ushered Kelly into her apartment.

Kelly smiled, “Thank you for inviting me. I bought the wine,” She held up the bag that held the wine inside.

Alex smiled, “We can never have too much wine. Did you find the place, okay?” She asked as she put the wine on the island top.

“Yes, it’s not that far from CatCo. I was there before I came over here, visiting James,” Kelly mentioned casually. She was feeling a little nervous because this was a private setting, and it was a little more intimate than their previous encounters.

“You stopped by to see James? Is he alright?” Kara asked.

Kelly sighed, “Describe, alright. I think that there may be some side effects of Lena’s drug. I chalked it up to James’ PTSD, but then he showed me a lamp that he crushed, and yeah that’s not PTSD related,” She explained what was going on with James. Kelly was still trying to process what James told her, and she saw with the lamp.

Alex’s eyebrows shot up, “Are you sure?” She asked.

“Positive. He said that we should speak to Lena and find out what is going on,” Kelly relayed the gist of the conversation. She could see the looks of concerns on Alex and Kara’s faces.

“I’m sure Lena will have an explanation for what’s happening. I’m sure James will be alright; if not, then with Lena’s help, we will be able to figure it out,” Kara reassured Kelly. She could tell that Kelly really cared for her brother.

“I’m probably worrying over nothing,” Kelly gave Kara a grateful smile.

“We have Chinese and old movies to help take your mind off of everything. It’s time that you had a night with the ladies,” Alex looped her arm through Kelly’s and led her into the living room.

Kelly relaxed a little at the simple gesture and ignored the butterflies that were fluttering around, “Now that sounds like a plan.” She could get on board with that. All thoughts of James went out of the window as she settled in for a night with the Danvers siblings who were quickly becoming her favorites.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Until next time my lovelies-xoxo- Nayanna Rivergron ;-)


	4. American Dreamer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex helps Kelly during the exploration of James' mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was not going to finish this story (thanks to a hateful anon on Tumblr), but I decided to say screw them and write to spite them. The only thing their vitriol did was inspire me to write more. A big shout out to the Dansen Thirst Squad for coming through. I love ya'll hoes *teehee*
> 
> I glossed over a lot of the episode here and mainly focused on Alex and Kelly.

Kelly stood in the corner while Lena and Brainy worked on James. She didn’t understand what was going on, and judging by the look on Alex’s face; it did not look good. This whole situation is so confusing, yet she is trying to understand and let them do their work. Kelly listened as they talked about James' heart rate, his blood pressure, and how the extraction does not seem to be working. She looked at Lena, who had a look of complete exasperation on her face. Kelly appreciated how Lena was trying, but it didn’t seem to be good enough. The beeping of the machines led to James groaning in pain, and everyone shared a sigh of frustration.

“Super hearing now, too?” Kelly asked, trying to process everything.

Alex could understand Kelly’s concern, “It seems every panic attack is bringing out a new ability,” She explained.

Lena sighed, “I will fix this. I just need to better understand this.” She grabbed the machine and left.

Kelly looked at everyone, “That’s gonna take time. We need another strategy,” She stated with certainty.

“Yeah,” Alex agreed.

Brainy stepped up, “Well, luckily for James, I am adept at strategies. Have you ever heard of a mind palace?” He asked. When he was met with silence, he continued, “A mind palace is a hyper-real interactive space in James’ mind. This device taps into James’ temporal lobe, allowing me to map out his memories.” He tossed a white device towards Alex.

Kelly watched as Alex inspected the device, it was tiny, and she wondered how this was going to affect James’ mind.

“Everything he experiences will be real and true. If James is able to identify and face his core trauma, he may be able to manage the attacks.” Brainy explained.

Alex tossed the machine back to Brainy, “Do we know why the Harun-El is making the attacks worse?” She asked the question that she was sure Kelly was asking herself.

“Lena’s drug was designed to attack illness. In this case, it was focused on the PTSD, heightening what would normally be just a panic attack. And since the drug also gives you superpowers, the attacks were causing the powers to be uncontrollable.” Brainy finished his thought process.

Kelly and Alex both looked at James, while Kelly was still trying to process everything that was being said. All of this does not make any sense at all; her brother now had superpowers. It was going to take some getting used to, but she was thankful that Alex was by her side.

“So you’re saying even if I’m able to manage the symptoms, I’m still going to have superpowers?” James asked for clarification purposes.

“Yes. But you’ll be able to control them. Now, shall we jump in?” Brainy asked.

“Let’s do this,” James agreed.

Kelly watched as Brainy put the device on James’ head to begin the journey into his mind. She walked over to Alex since they had a moment alone.

“Hey, thank you for being here. It means a lot,” Kelly thanked Alex for being here with her. They’ve only known each other for a few days, and it was amazing how the other woman was there for her.

“Oh, there’s no place I would rather be,” Alex told Kelly honestly. She cared about James and wanted to be there for him, but she wanted to be here for Kelly as well. The other woman had no idea what was going on, and she was suddenly plunged into this world of superheroes, superpowers, and technology from the future.

Kelly was appreciative of Alex being her with her if it wasn’t for Alex, then she would have been lost. Technology, superpowers, and everything else her brother was involved in was a crash course into her brother’s world.

“Are we ready to begin?” Brainy asked.

When no one said anything, Kelly watched as Brainy closed his eyes and put his fingers together to enter James’ mind. She waited quietly from the sidelines as Brainy did whatever it is that he needed to do. Kelly watched as James came back, breathing deeply.

“What happened?”

James had a lone tear running down his cheek, “I saw dad.”

Kelly watched stunned at James’ revelation. What did their dad have to do with anything? James was not at the funeral.

“By George, I think we’ve got it. We just stumbled upon your core trauma, James. And surprisingly, it isn’t a Lex Luthor murder attempt. It’s your father’s death.” Brainy sat down and crossed his arms.

Kelly was not expecting that answer, and she watched quietly as James explained his thoughts She listened, and when she heard Brainy say that James was at his father’s funeral, Kelly knew that was not the truth.

“No, Brainy, he wasn’t. I was alone. That is not something that you forget,” Kelly stated with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

“Consider the possibility that James was there, and you, Kelly, did not see him.” Brainy tried again.

Kelly chuckled quietly. Yeah, she remembered that day, and James was not there. She was alone and had to deal with that moment alone. Kelly hated bringing up the memory of her father’s funeral. It was a time that she wished she would have forgotten. She didn’t say anything while Brainy was trying to explain about memories and watercolor paints.

Kelly had enough, “Yeah, I’m sorry. I need a break,” She turned and walked out of the plastic room that they were in. Kelly did not want to relive one of the hardest moments of her life. She leaned against the wall, trying to get herself together.

Alex followed Kelly out of the room and found her in the hallway. She slowly walked towards the other woman and crossed her arms, “Hey. Uh...look, I know how hard it is to see a sibling in pain. But you have to know that Brainy and I are not going to let anything happen to James,” She wanted to make sure that Kelly understood that they were looking out for James’ best interest.

Kelly shook her head, “It’s…it’s not that. The memories are triggering for me,” She replied quietly.

“You mean, James at your dad’s funeral?” Alex asked for clarification purposes.

Kelly sighed, “James wasn’t at the funeral, Alex.” She turned and faced the other woman, “I was eight. And it was the worst day of my life. My dad was dead. And my mom was so distraught that my aunts had to hold her up. I was scared that she was gonna die, too. James swore to me that he would be by my side.”

Alex listened as Kelly recalled a moment in her life. She understood what Kelly was saying, when her father died, it was a difficult moment for her as well.

“That everything was going to be okay. Because we were gonna face it together.”

Alex listened quietly.

“He disappeared before the service. And I sat there alone, tears streaming down my face,” Kelly’s voice broke, “Staring at the door waiting for my big brother to walk in and make everything…make everything okay. He never showed up.”

“Where was he?” Alex prodded a little.

“I don’t know.”

Kelly ran her fingers through her hair and sat down in one of the chairs, “I don’t know where he really was. And, look, I get it. He was a kid, too. But it is not a day that I am aching to relive,” She was over it.

Alex could sympathize with Kelly, “I understand.” She knelt down in front of Kelly, “You know, you and I are a lot alike. We’re really good at taking care of other people but not so good at taking care of ourselves. You don’t have to do this. Yeah, I can stay by James’ side for you.”

Kelly appreciated Alex’s help, “I, umm…I actually think I can do it. Thank you,” She and Alex shared a meaningful look.

They entered the room, and Kelly watched on as Brainy and James tried to connect again. The connection was lost, and Kelly could feel Alex behind her.

“Kelly, I feel that James’ mind had merged with his younger self. You were there. You could tether him. Will you go in?” Brainy asked.

Kelly did not know what Brainy expected of her. She could not go in, and she could feel Alex looking at her. Kelly was put on the spot, and she didn’t know how to react.

“No. No, no, no. I can’t,” She stammered out.

“He needs guidance. He will recognize you as his young sister,” Brainy hoped that he could get through to Kelly.

Alex had enough, “No, Brainy, it’s too much to ask of her. There has to be another way.” She did not want to put Kelly through any unnecessary trauma.

Kelly couldn’t believe that Alex was advocating for her, “I’ll do it,” She finally agreed.

She entered James’ mind and saw what he saw and what he was feeling. James was not across the street, but he was trapped in the basement in a coffin. She heard her voice calling out for her James. The situation played out like a movie, and Kelly saw what her brother had gone through on the day of their father’s funeral. She had a better understanding of what had happened. When she exited James' mind, she, like everyone else, was surprised when James had levitated off the bed.

“James, you did it,” Kelly told her brother excitedly, and she shared a look with Alex.

The moment was interrupted when Alex’s phone went off, “I can’t get a hold of Kara. Lockwood is headed to CatCo. I gotta get her and Dreamer out of there.” She was trying to remain calm.

Kelly frowned, “Wait, you’re gonna be court-martialed if you try to stop Lockwood.”

“They cannot catch us if they do not see us,” Brainy replied.

Kelly didn’t realize how much of a badass Alex and Brainy really were. She found herself being dropped off at her hotel while James went to CatCo. Kelly was thankful for the reprieve, the day had been draining and stressful. Learning the truth behind James’ absence at their father’s funeral made a world of difference for Kelly. She no longer hated her brother for not being there for her, but it gave her a more in-depth understanding of her brother’s psyche. Sleep was trying to claim her, so Kelly grabbed her pajamas and her toiletries and went to take a shower to relax and was the stress of the day away. After spending a considerable amount of time in the shower (read until the water turned cold), Kelly stepped out of the shower and toweled herself off and slipped on her pajama pants and t-shirt. She wondered if Alex was at home and if everything went okay at the DEO.

Kelly smiled when she thought about Alex. She was so caring during the whole situation with James, calming, and advocated for her when she herself was uncertain about going into his mind. Alex had been a gentle yet calming presence, something that she had missed. As if on cue, her phone rang, and it was Alex.

“Alex, hi. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you tonight,” Kelly answered the phone.

Alex settled down on the couch; she was thankful that Kelly had picked up the phone. She was afraid that the other woman would have been asleep, “I wanted to check in with you to see how you were holding up. I know today was emotional, and then everything that went down at CatCo. I didn’t have a chance to check in with you,” It had been so busy, that she felt guilty for not checking in with Kelly. She may have seemed okay in Lena’s lab, but she may have been hiding how she really felt.

Kelly settled on the bed, “Thank you for checking in. You didn’t have to that, but thank you again. I am doing okay; it’s a relief to know the real reason why James was not at our father’s funeral. It still hurts a lot, but I don’t hold a grudge against him as I had before. Did everything work out with Ben Lockwood?” She asked about the guy leading the Children of Liberty. It was still surreal.

“Yeah, everything turned out okay. James stepped in, and so did Dreamer. I know you’ve been plunged into a world of chaos, but I hope that doesn’t make you rethink being in National City. We would miss you if you leave,” Alex took a sip of her whiskey. She wasn’t fooling anyone; if Kelly left National City, then it would disappoint her.

“I don’t think I will be leaving National City any time soon. It’s a different speed from Metropolis, and I am not a stranger to superheroes and chaos. I know James’ life was complicated, but I didn’t know how much. I mean, Supergirl, Brainy from the future, Dreamer, and my brother is the Guardian, and you who works for the DEO it’s a normal day in National City,” Kelly quipped, “I wouldn’t want to leave National City. I wouldn’t want to make anyone unhappy; besides, I have a reason to stay.”

Alex laughed quietly, “When you put it that way. It does seem a little outrageous, but you will never be bored here. And what reason is that?” She asked with mild curiosity.

“I met a friend who makes it worth staying,” Kelly stated bluntly.

“Wow. I was not expecting that answer, but your friend is glad that you are staying. We’ve only known each other for a short while, but there is something about you. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I am willing to learn more about you.” Alex did want to get to know Kelly better, whether it was a friend or something more.

Kelly didn’t know if Alex was flirting with her or not, “And for me to learn a little more about you,” She stifled a yawn.

“You sound like you’re tired. I’m going to let you get some rest. Oh, I am going running tomorrow morning. Would you like to join me? It would nice to have a running partner that is not Kara?” Alex asked, trying to come up with a way to see Kelly again.

Kelly accepted the invite, “Yeah, I would love to go jogging with you. Do you have a specific place? Do you want to pick me up here or meet you somewhere?” She asked, not wanting to be presumptuous.

“I’ll pick you up from your place, and then we can go from there. We can maybe grab breakfast after our run. My treat,” Alex threw the prospect of breakfast in there. It would give her a chance to be around Kelly some more.

“Now you are speaking my language. I am about to fall asleep on you, so I am going to call it a night. I will see you in the morning, Alex. Sweet dreams,” Kelly felt her eyes drooping.

Alex smiled to herself, “I will see you in the morning, sweet dreams,” She replied, before hanging up the phone. Alex finished her drink; she had a date to go running with Kelly in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And scene.
> 
> I added the whole jogging dialogue. It sets up the next episode on how Alex and Kelly went jogging. I asked the important question of how did they end up jogging together? Did they meet up somewhere? So many questions and I have to find the answers.
> 
> Until next time my lovelies-xoxo- Nayanna Rivergron ;-)

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter down!
> 
> Until next time my lovelies-xoxo, Nayanna Rivergron ;-)


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